Moodle

Hi Francis,

what exactly package did you downloaded? The main ones (zip or tgz), Windows or Mac?

TIA!

(assigning to me)

I downloaded the Windows zip package.

I din't test the very last version of moodle 1.9.2+, but the one of the 28th of september.

Francis

Hi Francis,

I've downloaded current (build: 20081008) version of 1.9.2+ from http://download.moodle.org/windows and installed it properly. Perhaps it was a problem in that exact build (2 weeks ago).

So, I'm going to close this as fixed. Thanks for your report!

Ciao

Closing as fixed. Adding Helen as QA. I've been able to install it ok, FYI. Ciao

I downloaded today version 1.9.2+ from http://download.moodle.org/ (9th of octobre 2008)

I installed it, everything seems to work fine. But when I log in as an admin user a blank page appears.

However I can login as a guest.

I did a fresh install of moodle 1.9.1 on the same server without encountering any problem. So my conclusion is that there is a bug somewhere unless there is a local problem

Hi Francis,

Perhaps the FAQ about particular pages being blank in http://docs.moodle.org/en/Installation_FAQ can help you.

Hi Francis,

I assume that, once again, you downloaded the Windows version (http://download.moodle.org/windows) today, correct?

And I assume that you were able to install it completely and then, after logout, the server doesn't allow you to login again as admin, correct?

This morning I tested the installation (and worked as commented above). I didn't tested the logout and login again. Going to do that now.

Please if my assumptions are incorrect, tell me! Ciao

reopening until further testing

Hi Eloy and Helen,

Thank you for your answers.

I installed the version 1.9.2+ from: http://download.moodle.org/download.php/stable19/moodle-weekly-19.zip
I don't kwow if this is whatt you call the windows version.

To be precise, after registering as an admin user at the end of the installation procedure, I was not able to log in at all excpet as a guest.

I will try to foolow the advices given in the page http://docs.moodle.org/en/Installation_FAQ

Ah,

that's the "generic" version, hehe. Windows versions are the ones in http://download.moodle.org/windows (that I've re-tested, performing the logout and login as admin and are working ok).

So, yes, it seems to be something in your server... perhaps enabling error output you can get something in the browser or in the web server logs... I keep this open in case you come with more info.

Ciao

Lowering priority to minor... and keeping it open in case we can do something (precheck...) to detect situations like yours, Francis.

I followed the advices given in page http://docs.moodle.org/en/Installation_FAQ
But I was not able to solve my problem.

What I did:

• I checked for php errors with the following commands in my .htaccess file:

php_flag display_errors on,
php_flag display_startup_errors on
php_flag log_errors on
php_value error_log /home/httpd/vhosts/formation-reiki.net/httpdocs/error_log/php_errors.txt

There was no errors reported.

• I added at the end pf my cong.php file the lines:

ini_set ('display_errors', 'on');
ini_set ('log_errors', 'on');
ini_set ('display_startup_errors', 'on');
ini_set ('error_reporting', E_ALL);
$CFG->debug = DEBUG_ALL;

Again no errors shown.

• I search in moodle forums for the same error. A probable cause reported is "The error is caused by the database configuration on strict mode." I checked that this is not the case.

I have no idea at all what causes the problem on my server, and why the problem appears only for moodle 1.9.2 and not 1.9.1.

Do you have any clue?

Thanks for any help given.

Instead of:

$CFG->debug = DEBUG_ALL;

can you try with:

$CFG->debug = DEBUG_DEVELOPER;
$CFG->debugdisplay = true;

Also... does the /home/httpd/vhosts/formation-reiki.net/httpdocs/error_log/php_errors.txt file exists? Is it writeable by the apache user?

Can you try to update to latest weekly version? Does it continue showing the same error?

As a final step, if you send me (privately) some credentials... I can take a look in the server... if the recommendations above don't work.

Ciao

Yes the php_errors.txt exist and I tested it work.

Just have to add in here - I have used Fantastico on shared hosting to upgrade several servers from 1.8 to 1.9 (which Fantastico will do for you) and got this white page result on every server I upgraded with Fantastico.

Well, I think I got a clue!

I've installed 1.9.3+ in another domain.

The installation was successfull and moodlle 1.9.3+ seem to work perfectly well.

However, when I ask my ISP provider to change safe_mode from ON to OFF as advised (it doesn't work with an .htaccess file, I have to ask my ISP), then the same problem occur, i.e. a blank page appears after an admin user logs in.

It is possible nevertheless to display a page from a course (i.e. no blank page this time).

Try to login as an admin to the main page
http://www.cefr.ch/moodle193/
using ID= Francis and Passwrd = moodle
it will not work.

But try instead http://www.cefr.ch/moodle193/course/view.php?id=2
and it will work!

I recall that this problem does not occur with 1.9.1, but with 1.9.2 and 1.9.3. It does not occur with guest user.

So my conclusion is that there is an incompatiblity with 'safe_mode = OFF'.

What do you think?

Thank you for your help.

Hi Francis, some comments and one test:

1) Moodle doesn't work fine with safe_mode enabled. It can cause you a bunch of problems (file handling) so it's highly recommended to have it disabled completely (note this is the opposite to your "incompatibility theory above, hehe).

2) I've been trying some pages in your site... and it seems that the problem is, exclusively, with all the moodle193/admin pages. Only those are problematic.... oki, that sounds to me. Can you try the steps (a, b, c...) below:

a) Triple check that all the admin files are there and that permissions are correct (they must be the same than the rest of the working moodle).
b) Rename the "admin" dir to something like "francistest".
c) Edit config.php and add: $CFG->admin = 'francistest';
d) Logout and login. Test

If now your site is working ok, with the admin dir renamed to francistest... it means that there are something in your control panel or so that prevents anything called "admin/xxxx" to be executed by PHP (it used to be a more or less common technique used by some control panels). Because of this technique Moodle allows to rename that dir and configure it in the config.php file. Note that you'll need to perform the renaming each time you upgrade Moodle.

I cross my fingers, awaiting for answer.... ciao

Hi Eloy,

Thank you very much for your attention regarding this issue.

I followed yours instructions and rename the admin file "francistest".

But it's still doen't work...

Maybe you will be interested in looking the phpinfo:

moodle193 site with safe_mode disable: http://www.cefr.ch/php.php
moodle193 site with safe_mode enable: http://moodle193.formation-reiki.net/php.php

(there are the same as far as I observed, except the safe_mode parameter)

What can I do the help to resolve this issue? Do you want me to give you an ftp access to these sites?
Why this issue dos not occur with moodle 1.9.1 for example?

ciao and many thanks

There is some else to note.

In the moodle 1.9.3 site with safe_mode enable, I've got the following error message:

Warning: mkdir() [function.mkdir]: SAFE MODE Restriction in effect. The script whose uid is 10279 is not allowed to access /home/httpd/vhosts/formation-reiki.net/subdomains/moodle193/httpdocs/data/moodledata193 owned by uid 48 in /home/httpd/vhosts/formation-reiki.net/subdomains/moodle193/httpdocs/moodle193/lib/setuplib.php on line 153

just after the login page.

A similar error does not occur with older version of moodle.

Is it possible that the same error may also account for the blank page syndrome when safe_mode is disable?

Hi Francis,

as commented above safe mode should be disabled. Or you'll run under problems, due to the type of checks that mode performs. So, until we found a solution, please keep safe mode disabled.

Secondly, as the "francistest" trick didn't work, can you return to previous "admin" situation?

More yet... how did you change the theme in that site? If you haven't access to the admin interface... how is it possible that you're using a custom theme? Can you go back to "standard" theme?

Finally, if the theme isn't the cause, can you try to reinstall again from scratch (empty DB completely, clean moodledata dir and reinstall without custom themes, nor modules... just moodle-plain).

All this is to try to avoid interferences from non-core code. Of course, on reinstallation, look to error logs to see if something happens there.

It's a really strange case, btw. Ciao

Hi Eloy,

Yes, it really seems that there is a problem with my server.

I reinstall moodle 193 again from scratch this morning as you ask.
I will send you by e-mail all the credentials.

To answer to your question above, I was able to change the theme when safe mode was still enabled.
I then ask my ISP to disable safe_mode, this is why it is not possible to access anymore to the admin pages.

There was not errors shown on my file error_log/php_errors.txt after the installation.
However I notice that this file doesn't seem to work well on my server with safe mode disable strangely.
(I was able to make it work on the other site http://moodle193.formation-reiki.net/moodle with safe mode enabled).
There may be here another problem with my server...

Thank you again for your help!

Hi Francis,

thanks a lot by the credentials to access your server. Thanks to that, I've been to "debug" the execution of moodle in your server and here there are some (interesting) results:

• The PHP execution simply dies (no error, no debug, no anything) in line 811 of lib/adminlib.php. That line is:

data = curl_exec($ch);

so something looks really wrong with the curl library in your server. Looking at phpinfo in your server I've seen that currently you are using:

CURL: libcurl/7.12.1 OpenSSL/0.9.7a zlib/1.2.1.2 libidn/0.5.6

and then looking in internet, I've found this:

http://curl.haxx.se/mail/curlphp-2007-09/0020.html#replies

where the reply for curl_exec() dying is, literaly:

"Whoa, those are all very old versions and I'm quite sure we've fixed a few
related bugs over the 3+ years since that libcurl version was released. There are also several security-related fixes done in at least libcurl, OpenSSL and zlib since then... "

So I'd recommend you to:

• Request your hosting administrators to upgrade their curl OS libraries.
• Until then, probably, they can disable that extension or, as a "manual" alternative, you can comment that block of code (the whole "if extension_loaded('curl') ) in lib/adminlib.php. That way, that Moodle check won't be executed, so the buggy curl_exec() won't happen.

And that's all, has been hard but enjoyable, hehe. Finally, don't forget to re-install from scratch everything, using new source codes and so on, I've been manipulating a lot of scripts in order to debug the thing.

Hope it helps... I'm going to resolve this as not a bug... feel free to reopen if something isn't clear enough. And finally two comments:

1) Disable SAFE_MODE completely to run Moodle.
2) NEVER put the moodledata directory within your public html documents! It can cause public disclosure of all files!! Use one dir out from hhtpdocs !

Ciao

Resolving as not a bug, buggy libcurl/7.12.1 OpenSSL/0.9.7a zlib/1.2.1.2 libidn/0.5.6 seems to be the cause => curl_exec() dying.

Ciao

Hello Eloy,

Thank you very much for your help. I would have been never, never, never been able to diagnose myself this problem!

I could install successfully moodle 1.9.3.
I waiting for my host adminstrator to upgrade their curl OS libraries.
Thank you also for your advises.

Francis